Trader Joe's Platinum Reserve Cabernet Franc 2023

Red WinesTJ TuesdayTrader Joes
Written By Catherine Courtney

Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Cabernet Franc

Lot #120

GRAPES: Cabernet Franc

VINTAGE: 2023

REGION: Paso Robles, California

ALCOHOL PERCENTAGE: 14.2%

PRICE: $14.99

Cheers to the New Year, fellow wine lovers! I hope you all had the chance to catch up with family and friends over the holidays. For me, I’ve found that the last two weeks of the year really can be a crapshoot. I’m running around Nashville like a crazy person trying to finish all of the last-minute errands, not to mention I am trying to find a time to catch up with my friends and celebrate with them. At the end of the day, I’m usually scratching my head because I have no idea what day of the week it is, and honestly, anything goes. Wearing pajamas all day? Sure thing. Fondue for breakfast? Why not. There really are no rules.

Regardless of how you spent your time, I hope you had the opportunity to enjoy some great bottles of wine and raise a glass to those who are in your heart. Today, we will sample another Platinum Reserve bottle I picked up from Trader Joe’s right before Christmas. It didn’t make the final “holiday cut,” but I wanted to give it a try.

Get your glasses out because we are going to taste the Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Cabernet Franc from Paso Robles, California. If you’ve been following Blonde Voyage Nashville for any length of time, you know I love a Cabernet Franc, and it’s not often that I find them at Trader Joe’s, at least in Nashville. However, this is the second Cab Franc I’ve found, and it was worth a taste test.

Without further ado, let’s jump into the tasting details, shall we?

Tasting Notes:

  • Medium ruby hue

  • Vibrant, dark red fruit - raspberries, dark cherry

  • Savory undertones of spice and toasted oak

  • Full-bodied wine with medium tannins and acidity that falls on the higher end of the spectrum

Verdict:

Admittedly, I was excited to sample a bottle of Cabernet Franc from Paso Robles. Paso Robles' climate, with warm days and cool nights influenced by the Pacific Ocean, provides ideal conditions for Cabernet Franc to thrive. For the sake of transparency, I enjoyed this bottle over the span of two evenings. The first night I found my first glass to be a bit offputting. I found it to be bitter and quite acidic. I thought I was having an off night, so I had a glass the following evening, hoping it would mellow out a bit, and it was still the same. While I’ve enjoyed my fair share a Cabernet Franc without food, perhaps pairing it with grilled meats like lamb or pork would accentuate the flavors. Maybe even a nice oven-roasted rosemary chicken- who am I kidding, now I am just hungry!

For the price point, there are better wines at Trader Joe’s. This won’t be a bottle I am rushing back to purchase. However, if you’ve tried it and had a different experience, drop it in the comments below. That’s the great thing about wine; people can interpret it differently.

Until Next Time!

Catherine Courtney

Welcome to Blonde Voyage Nashville!

I am so excited to finally see this dream become a reality.  Between the destination restaurants, the copious amount of food photos and insanely crazy travel stories, I have decided to share my journey. 

My name is Catherine Courtney and I am a Nashville native with a penchant for culinary creativity and epic travel adventures. I'll admit... I also have a slight obsession with handbags.

Two years ago, my life changed completely.  Everything that I knew to be was completely turned upside down.  I quickly realized that time is our greatest commodity and it's not to be taken for granted. I couldn't wait for the perfect time, who knew when that would be.  I needed to take the leap and explore the world on my own.  There were so many places I wanted to go, but where would I start. 

France was always one of those places that I had romanticized.  Wandering the streets of Paris and seeing the Eiffel tower were at the top of my list. Without hesitation, I booked a two week trip to the French Rivera and Paris.  It was a journey of a lifetime.  Not only were amazing friendships cultivated, but it was on that trip that i discovered that food and travel are the embers that that keep my soul on fire. 

It wasn't until I arrived back in Nashville with my passport that I realized I had been bit. Wanderlust had completely taken over.  I already started thinking about where I wanted to go next.  It was then that I decided that it was more important to have camera full of photos and a tattered journal full of stories than anything else. My heart was overflowing.

One of my favorite quotes that resonates is from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland:

"Actually, the best gift you could have given her was a lifetime of adventures...."

Join me as I explore near and far away places, filling my passport full of stamps and satiating my appetite with some of the most amazing cuisine the world has to offer. 

Thanks for reading! 

       

 

 

http://blondevoyagenashville.com
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